US Government Maintain the Need for Student Visa Extensions

June 26 2008 by Tamar Blieden

The US government stand by their decision to extend the student visa despite opposition filing a lawsuit against the decision.

In papers filed in court this week, the Bush administration, said that the lengthening of the Optional Practical Training (OPT) time from one year to 29 months will not have an adverse effect on US based workers, but in fact add to the pool of skilled workers that is currently short.

"There is a shortage of skilled workers in the United States," explains Christian Clark of www.globalvisas.com. In order to deal with this and the tight H-1B visa quota where just 80 000 skilled workers are let into the country a year, the government proposed this extension to attract skilled professionals who were in America under the student visa.

Each year the number of applicants for the H-1B far exceeds that of the cap; in fact it is sometimes double the quota. The pool is so large that often those on a student visa do not get accepted into the H-1B scheme in their first year after study.

This extension will give them more time, "The extension of time permitted in this rule simply spares [foreign students] the hardship of leaving the country to change their status," explained the government.

Opponents to the addition are the Immigration Reform Institute, The Programmers Guild and other groups, therefore technical workers who are in high demand are represented. They are appealing this extension fearing that it could affect wages and job availability.

However the government believe that such an extension is essential if the US would like to compete with the rest of the world. Although it does not directly increase the amount of H-1B visas available, this will impact on the frustration that the H-1B cap inflicts.

If immigrants study in US universities then there high level of education should be utilised within the country as well. This and the need for foreign talent, especially in the technological sector, is the basis of this visa change.

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